Automatic cut-off valve mechanism for welding and cutting torches



G TORCHES.

W. M. BELL.

Jan. 16 1923..

AUTOMATIC CUT-OFF VALVE MEG HANISIVI FOR WELDING AND CUTTIN 2SHEETS-SHEET 1.

FILED MAR. 15, 1922.

Jan. 16, 1923;

R CHES.

2 SHEETS-SHEE'I 2- w. TVLBELL.

AUTOMATIC CUT-OFF VALVE MEC HANISM FOR WELDING AND CUTTING T0 men MAR.15', 1922.

iterated titan, lid, ltllttl,

r in i M i t a a Application filed March 15, 1922. Serial No. 543,966.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that l, l vi'nranivr M. BELL, citizen of the United titatesof America, and resident of Portsmouth, county of Scioto, and State ofOhio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in AutomaticCut- Uil' Valve Mechanisms for l llelding and Cutting Torches, of whichthe following is a specification. r

This invention relates broadly to torches oi. the type in which mixturesof oxygen and acetylene are employed for producing an oxyeacetyleneflame for use in the autogenous welding and the cutting of metals, and,more specifically stated, the invention relates to an automatic gascontrol mechanism for such torches.

The primary objectof the invention is to provide a torch of thecharacter referred to embodying mechanism by means of which the passageoi gases therethrough 1s 1nstantly stopped and the ilame extinguishedwhen the torch is laid down or set aside following use, therebyeliminating not only the needless waste of gases, but also the risk oi?property damage and the danger of personal injury which are incident tothe laying aside of burning torches.

it further object is to provide a welding or cutting torch embodyingvalves, auxiliary to the ordinary main control valves common to suchtorches, which arenormally held closed for preventing the passage of thegases therethrough, which are actuated to and held in open position by aconveniently applied pressure of the operators torch-sup porting handwhen the torch is in use, and,

which are automatically and instantly closed when the handpressure isreleased, as when the torch is laid down. a

fi l still. further object is to provide a control mechanism oi thecharacter referred to which constitutes an attachment th at is read ilyapplicable as a unit to any standard com mercial form of welding orcutting torch without requiring that any change or modification be madein the structure ofsuch torch.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in thefeatures of construc tion, arrangement of parts and combinations ofelements which will hereinafter be fully described, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, in whichlligure 1 is a side elevation of atorch embodying my invention;

Figure F2, is an upper edge view of the same; and- Figure 8 is anenlarged central vertical section of the invention illustrating itsapplication.

Referring to said drawings, 1 indicates the stem and Qthe head of atorch of a more or less common commercial type, the same having theusual control valves 3 and ll whereby theipassage of the oxygen andacetylene gases through the passages 5 and 6, respectively, to the head2 is controlled and whereby the proportions of the said gases composingthe burning mixture are regulated.

its hitherto employed the flexible, tub ing's T and 8 through which theoxygen gas and the acetylene gas were supplied have been attached tonipples threaded into the outer ends of the arms or branches 11 and 12at the rear end of the stem 1. lln the present invention, said arms havemounted therein the front ends oi nipples 18 and 14 to the rear ends ofwhich are coupled, as by threaded unions 15 and 16, the front ends oi?nipples 1.7 and 18 which have their rear ends threaded into sockets 19and 20 provided therefor in a valve body 21,

The body 21 has two outwardly and oppositely directed arm-like portionsand 23, the former being preferably extended upward and the latterdownward, as shown, and said arms 22 and 23 have thereinrearwardly-opening threaded sockets 2 and 25 :for the reception of thefront ends of hose couplings. Kits herein shown, thecoupling for thehose 7 consists of two longiti'idinally alinod, nipples E26 and 2?coupled by means of a sleeve nut or union 28, while that for the hose 8is substantially identical, consistingot a-lined nipples 29and 30 joinedby a nut or union 31.

Disposed in the body 21 rearward ofand in alinement with the sockets 19and 20 are suitable. bushings 32 and 33 in which are formed seats torneedle valves 34 and 35 whereby, as will hereinafter be explained,

the passage of the gases is controlled. Leading off from the rear endsof the gas passages of the bushings 32 and 33 and extending outwardthrough the arms 22 and 23 are passages 36 and 37 which communicatetheir outer ends with the couplings receiver. in the sockets 24 and 25.Thus, as is apparent, the needle valves 34 and 35, when in theiradvanced positions,effectually close oii' the passage of the gases tothe passages 5 and Get the torch body or stem 1, and when in theirretracted positions permit unobstructed flow of said gases.

Said needle valves 34 and have the stems thereof extending rearwardthrough parallel bores 38 and 39 provided in said valve body 21 and havetheir rear ends pivota'lly attached to the opposite ends ot a crosshead40 which is pivoted intermediate its ends upon a pin 41 carried by therear end portion of a rod 42. Said rod is extended through and islongitudinally movable in a bore 43 provided therefor in said valve bodybetween and parallel to the bores 38 and 39. A chamberor side-openingslot 44 is provided by enlargement of an intermediate portion of thebore 43, and dis posed within said slot in'encircling relation to saidrod 42 is a spiral compression spring 45 designed to normally maintainsaid rod and, consequently, the crosshead and the attached valves 34 and35 in an advanced position in which said valves are seated for closingthe gas passages. Said spring has its front end resting against a crosspin 46 carried by-the rod 42 in a suitable position and has its rear endseated against the shoulder formed at the outer end of the slot 44,as'shown.

The bores 38 and 39, except at their forward ends, are made ofmaterially larger diameter than the stems of the valves 34 and 35 andhave compression springs 47 and 48 disposed therein in encirclingrelation to said stems, the front ends of said springs resting againstguide-collars 49 and 50 carriecl by said stems and the rear ends thereofbein -seated a 'ainst the inner ends of stuffin boxes 51 ano o2 whlchare threaded 1n the outer ends or said bores and which preferably havepacking glands 53 and 54 fitted in the outer ends thereof inembracrelation to said stems. Said bores 38 and '39 preferably havebushings 55 and 56 fitted therein, the same being ot length whichpermits of the requisite rearward movement-ofthe cOllars 49 and 50 foreffecting opening of the gas passages. Said springs 47 and 48 are notonly auxiliary to the main valve-closing sprino; 45, but serve to"compensate for any slight wear which may occur either in the valves 34and 35 or their seats. a slioht independent movement v r m of saidvalves being permitted by the :provision of elongated openings or slots5? and 58 in said stems at the points of their pivotal connection withthe crosshead.

A lever 59 has a bifurcated head disposed in straddling relation to theupper front end of the valve body 21 and with the parallel members 60ol. said head mounted upon a pivot-pin 61 which is directed through saidbody. Each of said head members ()0 has therein a substantially verticalslot (52. and received in said slots are the opposite ends of thecross-pin The body of said lever. which is preferably made o'lsheet-like mate rial shaped in concave-convex .torm, LXl'clltlsforwardly in overhanging}; relation to the upper branch 11, of the stem1 and nornnilly occupies a position parallel to and at a suitably spaceddistance from said branch.

It is designed that thr-v portion of the tor h located directly rearwardoi" the main valves 3 and 4, or between said valves and (he valvc body21, shall be grasped by the operator for supporting the torch. Thussum'iortcd grasped, the body of the lover 5!) is properly located to bedepressed toward the un-- derlying parts of the structure by a slightapplied gripping pressure of thc hand. Such depression of the levercauses the head of the latter to swing on the pivot-pin 1 and throughthe cross-pin 46 which is on gagged therewith, thrusts the rod 42rearward against the tension of its spring This action, through theintermediate crosshcad 40, retracts the valves 3-3.- und 35 from thciradvcined seated positions for allowing unobstructed passage of the gasespast said valves. When the leverleprcssing hand pressure s released, aswhen the torch is laid down. the flow oi? the gases instantly (,lll' of?by tlie automatic closing of said vnlvcs. lVhen, on the other hand, thetorch again taken up for use, the lever is depressed to valve openingposition and the gusts nnrv be relighted by swinging the burner tip inloproriniityio a suitably located pilot flame.

It will be obvious that the main valves 3 and need be employed only l'oradjustment to regulate the proportions in which the supplied to thetorch head or burner tip. and that. when-once adjusted. it will rarelybecome necessary to alter or otherwise disturb such adjustment.

To guard against chance injury to the mechanism, it is preferred that :1suitable casing. as the rectangular casing ('33. he slipped to a closelyseated position upon the rear end (it the valve body 2i tor enclosingand shielding the crosshmul 40 and the adjaccnt parts of the structure.

FY0211 the foregoing it will he "undeistood that the invention providesmeans whereby. when the torch is laid down or aside 'following; use. theflow of gas therethrough is automatically and instantly cut oil and theflame extin niished. Thus, as is manifest, is eliminated the very greatwaste of gases which lift) iaaaoso would otherwise be incident tofailures on the part oi the operator to extinguish the torch when thelatter is laid down for short intervals of time, which practice is verygenerally followed and ordinarily occurs quite frequently in the courseof a days time. liurther, the dangers of property damage and oi injuryto worlrmen through the careless handling oi lighted torches is verylargely avoided through the use of the invention. it will iinally benoted that the invention is in the form oi? an attachment which etpiailyapplicable to specially constructed new torches and to torches which arealready in. use.

/Vhile the invention has herein been described as applied to ancry-acetylene welding or cutting torch, it will be iulderstood that itis equally applicable to torches employing other gases or liquids.

l l ha-t is claimed is-- l. lln a device oi the character described, thecombination with a torch body having separate gas passages, oi a valvemechanism comprising a valve body provided with passages therein, valvescontrolling said passages, a member connecting said valves, a rodattached to said member, resilient means associated with said rod andacting through said member for normally holding said valves closed,auxiliary resilient means associated with each of said valves tending tohold. the latter closed, and a lever whereby said rod may be actuatedfor shifting said valves to open positions against the vari.- ousresillent means, said lever beinglocated in a position to be actuated bypressure applied by the hand which supports the torch in a device oi?the character described, the combination with a torch body havingseparate gas passages, and flexible gas-conducting tubes, of a valvemechanism interposed between said tubes and said body, said mechanismincluding valves controlling communication between said tubes and saidpassages, a rod located between and parallel to said valves and yoked tothe latter, a spring normally maintaining said rod in an advancedposition holding said valve seated,

and means actuated by hand pressure for thrusting said rod to retractedposition against the tension of said spring for actuating said valves toopen positions.

25. The combinaton of a blow torch and means for supplying gasesthereto, said means comprising a member having gas pass, longitudinallyshittable valves for con trolling said passages, a crosshead pivotallyconnected at opposite ends to said valves, a single resilient memberassociated with and will posed between said tubes and said body,

said mechanism including valves controlling communication. between saidtubes and said passages, a crosshead connecting said valves, alongitudinally movable rod locatei'l between and parallel to saidvalves, a spring normally maintaining said. rod in an ad.

vanced position in which said vaves are seated, and a pivoted. leverwhereby said rod may be shifted against the tension of said. spring foropening said valves.

5. in a device of the character described, the combination with a torchbody having separate gas passages, and flexible gas-conducting'tubes,oil" a valve mechanism interposed between said tubes and said body,said. mechai'iism includin valves controlling com munication betweensaid tubes and said. passages, a crosshead connecting said valves, alongitudinally movable rod located between and parallel to said valves,a spring normally maintaining said rod in an advanced position in whichsaid. valves are seated, and a pivoted lever whereby said rod may beshifted. against the tension ot said spring .lor opening said valves,said lever being located in a position to be actuated to valve-openingposition by pressure applied by the hand which supports the torch,

6. The combination oi a blow torch and means or supplying gas thereto,said means comynising a member having passages, valves tor controllingsaid passages, a cross head pivotally connected. at its opposite ends tosaid valves, resilient means associated. with and acting through saidcrosshead whereby said valves are normally held closed, auxiliaryresilient means associated with each of said valves and normally tendingto hold the latter closed, means permitting a slight movement 01E saidvalves independent of said. crosshead, and means adapted to be actuatedby hand pressure for open ing said valves.

in tes timony whereof, ll aiiix my signature in presence oi. twosubscribing witnesses.

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